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A Cultural History of Insects in the Age of Industry

A Cultural History of Insects in the Age of Industry cover

A Cultural History of Insects in the Age of Industry

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Pre-order. Available 02 Apr 2026
$135.00 RRP $150.00 Website price saving $15.00 (10%)

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Description

A Cultural History of Insects in the Age of Industry covers the period from 1820 to 1920, a time of great technological innovation and intensified trade. As urban populations spread so did pollution, squalor, and disease – and so did education and scientific knowledge. The expeditions of nineteenth century naturalists such as Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace fed the natural history collections of museums. At the same time, with the formation of new scientific groups and societies, professional entomology emerged as a specific branch of science. Knowledge of insect diversity accelerated whilst the increasing demands on agricultural production foregrounded the work of entomologists on pest control.

The six-volume set of the Cultural History of Insects presents the first comprehensive history from antiquity to today of all forms and aspects of human-insect interaction. The themes covered in each volume are insect knowledge; insects and disease; insects and food; insect products; insects in mythology and religion; insects as symbols; insects in literature and language; and insects in art.

Table of Contents

Series Preface
List of Illustrations


Introduction: Origins, Transformations, Impacts, Carol M. Anelli & Susan W. Fisher
1. Insect Knowledge: The Discovery and Description of Insect Diversity, Norman F. Johnson and Andrew Polaszek
2. Insects and Disease: A Formidable War Alliance, Melissa K. Miller and Gary L. Miller
3. Insects and Food: A Global View of Edible Insects, Florence Vaccarello Dunkel
4. Insect Products: Apiculture, Sericulture, and Other Insect-Derived Commodities, Walter S. Sheppard and Carol M. Anelli
5. Insects in Mythology and Religion: Natural Theology, Megan E. Meuti and Susan W. Fisher
6. Insects as Symbols: Making Meaning with Insects in the Nineteenth Century, Adam Dodd
7. Insects in Literature and Language: “Crawling at your feet, you may observe a Bread-and-Butterfly”, Rosalind White
8. Insects in Art: The Age of Industry, Deirdre Prischmann-Voldseth


Notes
Bibliography
Contributors' List
Index

Product details

Bloomsbury Academic Test
Published 02 Apr 2026
Format Hardback
Edition 1st
Extent 288
ISBN 9781350003149
Imprint Bloomsbury Academic
Illustrations 55 bw illus
Dimensions 244 x 169 mm
Series The Cultural Histories Series
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Series Editor

Gene Kritsky

GENE KRITSKY is Dean and Professor in the School o…

Anthology Editor

Carol Anelli

Carol Anelli is Professor of Entomology at The Ohi…

Anthology Editor

Susan Fisher

Susan W. Fisher is Professor Emerita at The Ohio S…

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